明鄭是台灣四百年史的黎明，本文從儒家思想史的角度著眼，認為明鄭二十三年的價值不只意在保明，而且是意在保天下。明末的天下意識一方面是漢文化代代延續的文化總體，一方面又帶有轉化為現代化內涵的因素。舉凡政權的合法性、法令的客觀性、道統政統的根源性分權、中央地方的制度性分權、物的反思、新的主體範式等問題其時皆已出現曙光，然異族的征服摧毀了敏感的現代化內容，使之不得成長。明鄭君臣的抗清復國義舉被晚明至民國史家視為具有春秋大義的抗爭，1683年明鄭亡則被視為一種文化意義的中國自此消逝不見，明鄭亡後無中國。明鄭精神可視為台灣價值的原型，台灣日後的民俗、祭祀與反抗活動的精神內涵皆可溯源至此明鄭一線。

The Kingdom of Tungning marked the dawn of four centuries of Taiwanese history. This paper approaches the history of the Kingdom, which lasted 23 years, from the perspective of Confucian ideology, and argues that its historical value lies not only in the preservation of the Ming dynasty, but also the preservation of the ancient Chinese world. The “Tianxia” ideology, a cultural concept denoting the entire geographical world, at the end of the Ming dynasty was, on the one hand, an inheritance of cultural unity passed down from generation to generation in Han culture; while on the other hand, it also contained elements of modernity. Deep and profound issues such as the legality of sovereignty, the objectivity of law, the primordial decentralization of political and cultural rule, the decentralization of central and local governments, the metaphysical reflection on objects, and new subjective paradigms all emerged during the time. However, due to foreign invasion, the modern contents of the ideology were destroyed before ever reaching maturity. The anti-Qing rebellion made by the lords and officials of the Kingdom of Tungning to restore the Ming dynasty was deemed by late Ming and Minguo historians as a spiritual and rightful deed. The demise of the Kingdom in 1683 was likewise seen as the end of Chinese culture, as epitomized in the saying “no China after the demise of Tungning.” The spirit of the Kingdom of Tungning therefore can be treated as the prototype of Taiwanese value, influencing the customs, rituals and rebellious activities that came to pass on the island in the years to come.